Bridget Riley. Photo by Ida Kar (1963) © National Portrait Gallery

This evening, Monday, January 12th, the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art will host a gallery talk with Karen Stock, Associate Professor of Art History at Winthrop University, in conjunction with its current exhibition “British Invasion.” Stock will explore the work of Bridget Riley in this Modern Monday event, which is a programmatic series offering opportunities to interact with museum professionals, scholars and others who offer insight into the museum’s collection and exhibitions.

Riley is one of Britain’s best-known modern artists. She produced significant work in the Opt-art style, which features optically vibrant canvases, often with a subject matter restricted to colors and abstract shapes. The talk, titled “The Decorative: Bridget Riley’s Modernist Sin,” will explore the way Riley’s work has been associated with craft and the decorative in a way that questions her standing as a creator of high art. Stock will look at the critical reception of Riley’s work and the links between craft, the decorative and the feminine in the postmodern era.

Stock began teaching at Winthrop in 2004. Her specialty is modern and contemporary European art with a particular focus on issues of gender and feminist theory. She received her Masters and Ph.D. from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University.

Modern Monday programs offer a cash-bar reception at 6 p.m., followed by the talk at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $4 for museum members and $8 for non-members. Tickets are available online or by calling 704-353-9200.